Drivers more likely to ditch diesel next time

The shift away from diesel has more drivers planning to choose an eco-friendly car than ever before, says AA Cars.

Looking at people who have used its site, nearly a quarter (22%) claim they are ready to make the switch despite a lot of confusion over Government policies.

The AA-Populus poll of over 20,000 drivers shows that this would be a dramatic increase from the 2% of drivers who currently drive a green car.

Nevertheless, the changing perception of green vehicles is something which is echoed by original data from AA Cars, which shows a 470% increase in people searching for used hybrid and electric vehicles, since 2014.

The positive outlook for alternatively-fuelled vehicles (AFVs) is in stark contrast with that for diesel – the research finds that fewer than one in eight (12%) drivers are intending to choose diesel, when the time comes to purchase a new car.

The data suggests that confusing government policy (56%) and contrasting stories reported in the media (58%) have put buyers off seeking out diesels as their next car – increasing taxes for the majority of diesel drivers and a contrasting narrative that newer diesel technology is cleaner than other fuel types has added to this confusion.

Diesel owners themselves are likely to be the most confused by the shift in messaging and 92% of them call on the government to provide a clearer picture on the future of diesel vehicles in the UK. As a fifth of diesel car drivers say they would never expect to own another diesel again, clearer policy that doesn’t lump all diesels drivers together in universally paying higher tax rates would be most welcome for drivers and the industry.

The need for clarity is cemented even further as a quarter of drivers (24%) mistakenly believe that new diesel cars are as harmful to the environment as older ones. As a result of this misconception, there has been a 45% decrease in people searching for used diesel cars on the AA Cars site over the last five years.